


Cure for the Itch

by energie_vie



Series: World looking in [3]
Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Booker misses Nile so much, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Focus on the brotherly relationship between Booker Nicky and Joe, Joe and Booker are both melodramatic and way too alike, M/M, Mild Language, POV Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Post-Movie: The Old Guard (2020), Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29309991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/energie_vie/pseuds/energie_vie
Summary: "Pre-Nile Booker was stoic, post-Nile Booker is unrestrained. Nicky would've never guessed the man can sound so distraught when he sighs. It's almost heartbreaking but it also makes both him and Joe struggle to stifle laughter every single time. It's the discovery of the decade: Booker tends to be very melodramatic."---Nile is on a mission with Andy and Quynh and Booker is in full "abandoned puppy" mode. Nicky finds it both endearing as well as hilarious, Joe refuses to acknowledge he's just as bad when separated from Nicky and you can always count on Nile for a surprise reunion.
Relationships: Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Nicky | Nicolo di Genova, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: World looking in [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117901
Comments: 32
Kudos: 125





	Cure for the Itch

**Author's Note:**

> I find myself more and more fascinated by the brotherly relationship between Booker, Joe and Nicky. It's pure and unadulterated love, which is why I am also convinced that 1. the betrayal hurt a lot more than everything else that came along with it and 2. forgiveness came a lot more easily than Booker would have expected or believed he deserves (I'm digressing, sorries).
> 
> Anyway, I think both Joe and Nicky are genuinely ecstatic that Booker has found happiness and peace of mind but they would gladly strangle him for constantly sighing like a distressed damsel.
> 
> So, this is Booker taking missing Nile to the ultimate level, seen through Nicky's and Joe's eyes. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> P.S. check out the [Gooey](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983568) series or [Snapshots](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27817846/chapters/68103208) for more of Nile and Booker's awesome relationship.
> 
> EDIT: forgot to give credit for the title (you didn't actually think it was mine, did you?) - Linkin Park song (RIP Chester).

Nicky has known Booker for over two hundred years. Two hundred and thirty-seven, to be precise. He remembers meeting him and then saying goodbye too soon after. He remembers his heart breaking for him, then sighing in utter sadness and saying welcome once again. He remembers teaching him Italian and how to wield a sword and how to cook the perfect lasagna (the ragù recipe is still only for him to know and everyone else to pout about).

Funnily enough, he's not sure he remembers anymore how Booker used to _be_ before Nile.

Miserable, obviously. Suffering and wallowing in alcohol and grief. Witty and cynical and sarcastic and.. that's about it. It's all so vague, this pre-Nile era as he and Joe jokingly call it. Andy calls it the _wretched asshole era_. Quynh just laughs.

In all honesty, pre-Nile is getting more and more foggy and it's mostly because post-Nile thoroughly overshadows it. Booker is still witty and cynical and sarcastic but he's also so in love that new facets of him become visible almost every day. It's both endearing as well as highly entertaining.

Take, for instance, the current situation: Booker apart from Nile. The first word that comes to mind to describe his mood is listless. Joe would call it _spleen_ but then again, Joe has a weird and unexplainable fondness for Baudelaire. No, listless works just fine. Listless _and_ restless, which is a paradoxical combination that only Booker could pull off.

Nile, Andy and Quynh are wrapping up a mission in Laos and they're supposed to meet them here, in Cyprus, in two days' time. They haven't been gone for too long, less than two weeks but if you didn't know and had only Booker as reference point, you'd think it's been two years.

Pre-Nile Booker was stoic, post-Nile Booker is unrestrained. Nicky would've never guessed the man can sound so distraught when he sighs. It's almost heartbreaking but it also makes both him and Joe struggle to stifle laughter every single time. It's the discovery of the decade: Booker tends to be very melodramatic.

He's currently sprawled sideways in an armchair with an open book in his lap but he hasn't turned a page in at least fifteen minutes. He's just staring blankly ahead, literally pouting and Nicky doesn't know whether to facepalm or laugh out loud at his desolate expression.

'Is he pretending to read again?' Joe chuckles under his breath, making Nicky jump a little. 'Just like you were pretending to work on this crossword puzzle, huh?' he adds with another chuckle, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

'I am!' Nicky replies indignantly.

'Of course you are, my love,' Joe smiles benevolently, caressing the hair at Nicky’s nape and making him squirm. He's slightly ticklish but that never stops Joe. Nicky doesn't really mind. 'Wow,' Joe adds, leaning in his space.

'Wow what?'

'Six across. Palindromic exclamation. When did you stop paying attention to the puzzle and start paying attention to him?' Joe laughs.

'When he started sighing like a princess locked in a tower,' Nicky mutters while rolling his eyes.

'Two more days, my heart and then we can ship him and Nile somewhere and get him back when he's out of this moody teenager state.'

There's a loud buzz and Nicky watches in amusement as Booker all but jumps from the armchair and launches himself towards the coffee table, completely disregarding the book that lands face-down on the floor. Several pages are now severely crinkled and he's definitely going to regret the carelessness later. Right now, however, his eyes light up and he grins dumbly at the phone, then starts furiously typing with his tongue poking out from the corner of his mouth.

'If he had a tail he'd be wagging it right now,' Joe deadpans, making Nicky snort and then laugh heartily.

He's half-expecting Booker to snark back or at least flip them off annoyedly but he seems oblivious to anything other than the phone in his hand. He's basically making heart eyes at the little screen. Yeap, absolutely smitten.

It's probably the _good night_ exchange because in less than two minutes he puts the phone back on the coffee table, sits down on the couch and lets out another dejected sigh.

'You know, I think I finally understand why Andy preferred to pair with Booker when it was just the four of us and we had to split,' Nicky says.

'You honestly think we are _this_ insufferable?' Joe asks, pursing his lips thoughtfully.

'Yeap, especially you,' Nicky winks slyly, then promptly yelps when Joe pokes him in the ribs.

'That was downright hurtful and for that I'm gonna seek company somewhere else,' Joe lifts his chin defiantly, straining to hide his smile. 'Basti,' he calls, 'wanna play chess?'

 _Basti_ is so lost in thought that he doesn't hear Joe. He's chewing his lower lip and playing with the wedding ring and Nicky is sure not even an earthquake could snap him out of his thoughts.

'Book!'

Still nothing, so Joe picks up Nicky's pencil and aims for Booker's head. 

'What the fuck, Joe?!'

'Hey, I was using that!'

'No, you weren't and you know that,' Joe looks impassively at Nicky before turning towards Booker. 'And you, if you're done sulking, wanna play chess?'

'I wasn't sulking!' he mutters, crossing his arms and making Joe raise a single questioning eyebrow. 'Fine, I was,' he mutters after a couple of moments. 'I just miss her _so much_!' he carries on plaintively, letting himself fall backwards on the couch and throwing an arm over his face. 

Joe lets out an exasperated groan, then turns towards Nicky, looking extremely displeased.

'Nicolò, light of my life and joy of my heart, you know I love you more than anything else in the world but if you ever again imply I am this big of a drama queen when I'm separated from you…'

The fact that Joe leaves his mock-threat hanging makes Nicky chortle. They both know that Joe also tends to be melodramatic.

'You're just as bad!' comes Booker's muffled grunt because his arm is still covering his face. 'You moan and whine and it's about time you got a taste of your own medicine. Now let me suffer in peace!'

'What about chess?'

'Why don't you play with Nicky?'

'Because I'm in the mood for a challenge.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Nicky says in the most affronted tone he can muster.

'I'm sorry, my love, but with you it's almost always an easy win,' Joe grins unapologetically.

'Well, screw you! Booker, get your ass over here and dismantle him! Oh, and could you please get my pencil, too? _Someone_ decided to borrow it without asking first,' he mutters, eyes narrowed at Joe.

Booker lifts his arm slowly but no more than a centimetre, revealing a single blue eye that scrutinises them carefully. After a few moments he gets up from the couch letting out yet another sigh, picks up Nicky's pencil from the floor and the chess set from under the coffee table and makes his way to the kitchen, all the while grumbling something about _insensitive bastards_ under his breath.

He unceremoniously drops the pencil on Nicky's crossword puzzle and takes a seat directly in front of Joe, opening the chess box and dumping the pieces on the table.

'I'm white,' he declares without preamble and starts arranging his pawns.

'You were white last time, too,' Joe huffs. 'Why do you always get to make the first move?'

'You know it makes no difference, Joe, it's not like he has a bigger chance of winning,' Nicky interjects.

'Hey, who's side are _you_ on?'

'His,' Nicky says seriously, picking up his pencil and turning his attention towards the crossword.

'I'll remember this, Nico, just so you know.'

Another mock-threat and this one makes Nicky roll his eyes and shake his head. 

It's quiet for the next five minutes or so. Joe and Booker are always very focused when they play chess, as if their lives depended on the outcome of each game. They even keep track of wins and losses, resetting the score once every decade. Nicky thinks Joe might be ahead this time, though not by much.

'What's the score again?' he asks.

'I'm leading, one hundred and thirty-one to one hundred and twenty-eight,' Joe replies somewhat absent-mindedly.

Nicky studies the board for a couple of moments. Joe's right, he's not as good a player as either of them but even _he_ can tell that Booker is on his way to reducing the difference to only two points. He's just about to make a teasing remark when his phone buzzes in his pocket.

 _'Shhh!'_ reads the text from Nile and Nicky frowns in confusion.

 _'Huh?'_ is all that he can come up with.

_'Don't say the text is from me.'_

_'I don't understand.'_

He really doesn't. Then inspiration hits.

_'Have you been drinking??'_

Nile promptly replies with a rolling eyes emoji, a facepalm one and a middle finger.

_'Do you honestly think that if I were drunk I would be texting **you**? No offence.'_

_'A boy can dream,'_ he texts, followed by a shrugging shoulders emoji.

_'If you're into sexting that much but you're reluctant to tell Joe, I can hint it to him.'_

Nicky snorts, then chuckles under his breath.

'What's up?' Joe asks curiously.

'Quynh sent me a funny video,' he replies vaguely.

He then takes advantage of Booker looking intently at the board to hold Joe's gaze for a couple of seconds. He flicks his eyes towards Booker, then the phone in his hands, then back at Booker and he nods once when Joe smirks, tilting his head in an _aha_ gesture. He's definitely figured out that Nicky is talking to Nile. The perks of a thousand-year-old relationship, no words needed.

 _'Sexting is for rookies. The real deal is looking someone dead in the eye when talking dirty. I can make Joe blush in less than five seconds,'_ he finishes with a winking emoji.

_'I really didn't need to know that but I guess I walked right into it, didn't I? Anyway, I'm in a taxi, heading your way. I should be there in about five minutes._

Nicky feels his eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

_'You're in Larnaca?! No way! Booker's gonna have a heart attack.'_

Nile replies with a single smiling devil face.

'Why are you grinning like a maniac?' Booker asks while moving his knight.

'Just envisioning the outcome of this game,' Nicky replies, making Booker purse his lips naughtily.

'My love, your lack of faith in me is becoming really upsetting,' Joe mutters, pushing one of his pawns forward.

'Check!' Booker grins.

'What?!'

'Looks like I might be too much of a challenge,' Booker says innocently.

'Arrogant bastard!' Joe mutters, moving his king to a safe square. 'How about a little bet, then? Since you're so sure of yourself.'

'I'm listening.'

'Two hundred says you're gonna lose.'

Booker looks at Joe with an incredulous half-smile, then turns towards Nicky.

'Did you spike his coffee or something?' he asks with a small chuckle, then looks back at Joe. 'Five hundred says I beat you within the next ten moves.'

'You're on,' Joe grins. 'Nicky, start counting.'

'I'm not counting anything, I have better things to do.'

'Like what?' Joe asks curiously, just as the doorbell rings.

'Like getting the door,' he replies, getting up from the table and heading down the hall.

He knows who it is and just the thought of Booker looking dumbstruck makes him snicker in anticipation. Apparently, Nile is thinking along the same lines because she looks so excited that she's practically vibrating. She grins widely and then puts her index finger against her lips. She's shushing him again and Nicky rolls his eyes before pulling her in a big hug.

'Checkmate!' Booker's voice booms from the kitchen, followed by Joe's string of expletives, most of them adjectives of the not-so-complimentary variety.

Nicky chuckles as he watches Nile smile goofily, an impossibly tender look in her eyes. She's just as smitten as Booker and past experience has shown that she's also as unbearable as him whenever they're separated, which makes their reunions hard to witness without feeling your insides turn to mush. And then it all upgrades to R-rated. Come to think of it, he and Joe might need to get out of the house for a little while.

Nile has already taken her shoes and her backpack off and is now tiptoeing towards the kitchen, so Nicky follows suit, taking his phone out of his pocket and getting ready to film.

As it happens, Booker has his back turned to the hall so Nile comes only into Joe’s line of sight. Joe, who has one of the best poker faces and so the only reaction he has is a wink and a small quirk of the lips. He then carries on with the conversation as if nothing's happened and Nicky presses the record button.

'How do I know you wrote down all the moves?' he teases, making Booker lift his head from what he'd been intently studying.

'Because you were right here!' he exclaims. 'Now don't be a sore loser and pay up!'

'How much did you win?' Nile asks casually.

The following sequence of events happens in a blur and Nicky thinks he might have to slow down the clip once he finishes recording just to make sure he hasn't missed anything.

Booker turns around so quickly that Nicky can actually hear his neck crack a little. In just a millisecond his expression shifts from mild irritation at Joe's teasing to one of pure shock. There's also a hint of _I must be dreaming_ coupled with _please let it be real_ and finally a dazzling smile. He forcefully pushes the chair back and in his haste to get to Nile he also knocks the table over, toppling it to the floor along with the chess board and everything else on it. And then it's like he teleports himself because in the blink of an eye he reaches her and wraps her up in his arms, all the while murmuring something under his breath.

Nicky stops the recording and goes to help Joe with the mess in the kitchen. The table looks funny, like a capsized boat, there are chess pieces everywhere, his pencil is nowhere to be found and his crossword puzzle is soaked because there was also a mug of coffee on the table. Luckily, the mug seems to have survived the fall. It's one of his favourites, so at least there's that.

'He's like a fucking hurricane,' Joe grumbles good-naturedly. 'Or a tornado. I think earthquake might work too,' he adds pensively.

'Ever the poet, my love,' Nicky chuckles.

'Go ahead and tell me when exactly I destroyed my surroundings while rushing to get to Nicky, you French tank!' Joe calls.

Nicky is surprised Joe gets an answer because Nile and Booker seemed to have moved past the greeting stage and are now well into the _making up for lost time_ one. Granted, it's only a weak _fuck off_ and a middle finger.

'Well, there was that one time in Piazza Navona when you stepped on that dog's tail while running towards me,' Nicky says neutrally. 'And the time in Buenos Aires, at the airport, when you knocked over that lady's luggage. And-'

'I can't believe you're still on _his_ side,' Joe pouts.

Nicky just shrugs and then grins. 'Will you forgive me if I get you some ice cream?'

'Now?' Joe asks excitedly.

'Yeap. I feel it would be a good idea to leave the house for a couple of hours.'

Based on the make out session happening before their eyes, it's definitely a good idea.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on [Tumblr](https://energievie.tumblr.com/) if you wanna say hi 😬💜


End file.
